“So if they were going to seek retribution or anything, he needed to know that I was going to have his back and be the one to jump in there. It’s something that’s come easy for me my entire career.”

His entire life, actually. As the second-oldest brother to five sisters, Stewart has literally always played the role of big brother. He hinted that he used to dole out his fair share of shiners back in the day, even before he built a reputation as an enforcer in the NHL.

“A couple fights in the schoolyard when I was younger to say the least,” the Toronto native said with a laugh. “I’ve never had a problem sticking up for my own.”

That mentality has followed him from the schoolyards to the rink. While he developed into a legitimate playmaker as he rose through the ranks, Stewart never had a problem dropping the gloves.

“I remember making teams as the last forward, the guy that was always in and out of the lineup,” he said. “That was my niche when I was younger, and it always came natural when I got to the pros.”

Stewart, who got his start with the rival Colorado Avalanche, pointed to Cody McCormick, Cody McCleod and David Koci as players who were big brothers to him early in his career. They helped show him the ropes, so to speak, in how to stick up for teammates. Not that Stewart really needed guidance on that front.

Stewart has 44 documented fights in his NHL career, excluding preseason games. That number doesn’t take into account his time in the minors when his propensity to throw hands was even higher. His only fight this season came in Game 2 when he went toe to toe with Winnipeg Jets winger Chris Thorburn.

Boudreau said Stewart is extra important because the Wild don’t have another player in the “ilk of Stewie” on the roster.

“It is comforting knowing we have a guy like that out there,” said Jared Spurgeon, perhaps the smallest player on the team. “It helps with the way we play and with the way teams play against us. They know they can’t take liberties in guys with a guy like Stewie out there.”

Spurgeon, however, was sure to note that Stewart is more than a fighter.

“As tough as he is, he’s a good player, too,” Spurgeon said. “It’s not like he’s only out there to stick up for us. He has been making some big plays for us.”

Still, Stewart is never going to be a 60-point scorer like he looked like he might be early in his career. He has two goals and three assists this season.

“He is a special player because he can play up and down the lineup and his attitude won’t change,” Charlie Coyle said. “That’s huge for an older guy to approach the game like that. You can tell he’s for the team. We need guys like that.”

Stewart said he isn’t “going out looking for fights” at this point. You give him a reason to fight, though, and he has absolutely no problem stepping into the role of big brother.

“We are family here,” Stewart said. “I’m going to make sure no one is going to be picked on or taken advantage of when they’re out there. We need our guys to play their game. I’ll worry about that other stuff out there.”

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